Cross-Check!

Liz Dennett is a public service librarian in the Science and Technology
Library at the University of Alberta.

Josh Watson’s hockey team, the Calgary Rockies, is playing in an international Bantam AAA hockey tournament in Kelowna, B.C. Josh is excited to be taking part. His confidence on the ice is growing, thanks in part to the encouragement of his team’s captain, Nick. The tournament will reunite Josh with his friends Peter and Sam, who play on another team but went to hockey camp with Josh in the summer. Of course, now he’ll be competing against his friends, and things get complicated when Nick throws some cheap shots while playing in games against Peter and Sam. As the Rockies progress through the tournament, Josh learns some important lessons about being a leader on and off the ice.

The hockey action is fast, furious, and fun, and the suspense grows with every game the Rockies play. The off-ice action is handled just as skilfully. There are a number of serious issues dealt with in this book, ranging from physical pain (a bad injury) to emotional pain (people being unfairly judged) to insecure feelings about friendships, but the book never feels preachy or overwrought. The characters are believable and well-rounded. Wayne Gretzky and Dany Heatley have both offered praise for Nicholson’s work, and I think a lot of preteens will like this book too. Highly recommended.